Optical game device



1963 N. J. M GOVERN OPTICAL GAME DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1960 United States Patent Ofiice 3,074,319 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 3,074,319 GPTHCAL GAME DEViClE Norbert J. McGovern, Rockford, 11]., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Andrew F. Wintercorn, Rockford, 111.

Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 2,902 4 Claims. (Cl. 88-75) This invention relates to an optical game device or plaything which involves the drawing of lines and figures by reference to a mirror image, the player endeavoring, for example, to connect with straight lines a pattern of dots on a piece of paper while Viewing these dots in a mirror which, of course, leads to much confusion and amusement, especially when an effort is made to accomplish the feat in the shortest possible time in competition with others trying to do the same thing with the same equipment in the same way.

A special feature of the device of my invention is its generally V-shaped frame or body with the pad or paper resting on one side of the V, which forms a supporting base, and a viewer provided on and supported by the other side of the V at a predetermined elevation with respect to the pad or paper, so that the player, while looking through the viewer into a mirror supported vertically in the crotch of the V in front of the viewer and the pad or paper draws lines joining together a prearranged system of dots on the pad or paper, the eyes of the person using the viewer being disposed high enough in relation to the pad or paper to enable the person drawing the lines with a pencil without being cramped for space.

Another important feature of the device of my invention is the novel two-piece cardboard construction of the frame or body, the main body piece being elongated but foldable at the middle to enable compact packaging in a relatively small transparent plastic envelope with the other body piece, which forms a part of the viewer, laid flat in the fold of the first mentioned body piece and held against displacement laterally by inwardly folded flaps provided on opposite sides of one half of the main body piece, the mirror used in the device being also packed in the same way as the small body piece. Registering slits or holes provided in the body pieces are adapted to receive staples to fasten the pieces together and this assembling operation adds a certain amount of interest for the purchaser, besides being to a certain extent instructive and educational. Registering slits are also provided in the foldable flaps on the main body piece, and the mirror is adapted to be mounted in these slits after the body pieces have been assembled together.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical game device or plaything made in accordance with my invention;

HG. 2 is a side view illustrating the mode of operation;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views, on a smaller scale, of the two body pieces shown fiat;

FIG. 5 is a view of the mirror on the same scale as FIGS. 3 and 4;

KG. 6 is a plan view on the same scale of the main body piece with the flap portions folded inwardly and with the smaller body piece and mirror disposed under the folded flaps to illustrate the method of packing, and

PEG. 7 is an edgewise view of FIG. 6 with the main body piece folded ready for insertion in a plastic envelope for shipment and sale. I

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in these seven views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 8 designates the optical game device or plaything of my invention generally, comprising a generally V-shaped frame or body 9 formed by folding the elongated cardboard blank 11] of FIG. 3 at the middle along the line 11 to provide a bottom or base 12 and an inclined top 13, the latter being supported at an angle of approximately 45 relative to the base by generally triangular side Walls 14 and 15, which are defined by flaps 16 and 17 folded inwardly at right angles to the top wall 13 along the lines 18. Tabs 19 on the flaps 16 and 17 are foldable inwardly at right angles to the side walls 14 and 15 along lines 20 and fastened by means of staples 21 entered through slits or holes 22 provided in the tabs and registering slits or holes 23 provided in the base 12. Slits 24 are provided in the flaps 16 and 17, which when the frame or body is set up, as described, extend substantially vertically in registering relation in the side walls 14 and 15 and serve to support a mirror 25' (preferably of the steel type) thrust therethrough from either side of the device.

A tubular viewer 26 of inwardly flaring form is provided on the underside of the top Wall 13 at its outer end through which a person can see all portions of the mirror 25 and accordingly see the mirror image of dots 27 or the like made on a pad 28 and follow the progress of drawing lines with a pencil 29 joining these dots, as indicated by the dot and dash line 30 in FIG. 2. The pad or paper 28 may be suitably secured on the base 12 in front of the mirror 25, and if desired, a mystic slate of the well-known type may be used which has a plastic sheet over the slate and any writing on the plastic sheet with a stylus is visible only so lOng as the sheet is not stripped upwardly from the slate, thus permitting use of the same slate over and over again. The viewer 26, as herein disclosed, is formed partly by the top wall 13 and extensions 31 of the side walls 14 and 15, and partly by a smaller body piece 32 shown in FIG. 4. The piece 32 of cardboard is of the same kind used for piece 10, having flaps 33 foldable at right angles to the plane of the piece along the parallel lines 34 so that the flaps may be fastened to the extensions 31 by staples 35 entered through holes or slits 36 in the extensions 31 and registering holes or slits 37 provided in the flaps 33. The upper end of wall 13 is cut away on an are at 38 to con form to the forehead of the person looking through the viewer 26, and a notch 39 is provided in the rear edge of the piece 32 at the middle to fit the nose and thereby insure centering the persons head properly with respect to the viewer for uniformly good results.

In operation, any number of persons can play a game in which each player uses a device as herein disclosed, and all are assigned the same pattern of dots 27 to connect by straight lines, as indicated in FIG. 1, a suitable timing device being used to keep track of the time it takes for the various players to complete the assignment. Thus the average player on first trial might take a minute to perform the task, whereas one who is experienced or has better coordination might do it in thirty seconds, or another who has unusual aptitude might do it in as little time as fifteen seconds. It is amusing to see how far off a person can go in trying to draw a straight line between two points while looking through the viewer during the operation. The mirror image throws a person off to such an extent that it even becomes difficult for him to write his name while looking through the viewer. A higher and higher degree of coordination can be developed, however, through practice.

In the merchandising of this product, the body piece 19 has the flaps 16 and 17 folded inwardly to pocket the smaller body piece 32 and mirror 25 inside the piece 16 when it is folded along the line 11, as shown in FIG. 7. A pad 28 or a slate of the kind previously mentioned may be pocketed with the parts 25 and 32 in this manner,

together with any instruction sheets or sales literature that the manufacturer might see fit to include in the package. The device in the folded form of FIG. 7 can he slipped easily into aplastic envelope and the envelope closed to insure delivery of all of the parts for a complete device in each sale, so that there will be no complaints to be dealt with on that account. When clear plastic material is used for the envelope, the printing on the outer side of the main body piece 10 is clearly visible through the envelope and this adds a great deal to the articles sales appeal.

-It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. An optical device of the character described comprising an upright substantially rectangular mirror, a substantially horizontal support in front of the mirror for writing material on which a person may write or draw while viewing the writing material in the mirror, an elongated tubular viewer of substantially rectangular cross-section and approximately the same width as said mirror but only a fraction of its height and disposed in a plane at right angles thereto and aligned therewith and mainly above the same and spaced above the support and forwardly relative to the mirror and inclined longitudinally downwardly toward the upper portion of the mirror relative to the support so that an image of the writing material is visible in the mirror through the viewer by an operator situated with his head in viewing relationship to the viewer and held against the outer end thereof, and a rigid supporting frame carrying the mirror, support, and viewer in the aforesaid-fixed relationship.

2. An optical device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame is of a knockdown form and made from one generally rectangular piece of cardboard foldable to V-form, and foldable on opposite sides of the crotch to define side walls fastenable by foldable tab portions to maintain the open V form, the upper half of the viewer being formed by the upper half of the aforesaid V and the lower half of the viewer being formed from another generally rectangular piece of cardboard fastenable to the side walls of said frame by foldable tab portions on the opposite sides of said other piece of cardboard to define the tube form.

3. An optical device as set forth in claim 2 wherein slits are provided in the side Walls, in which opposite end portions of the mirror fit for support.

4. An optical device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame is of a knockdown form and made from one generally rectangular piece of cardboard foldable to V-form, and foldable on opposite sides of the crotch to define side walls fastenable by foldable tab portions to maintain the open V form, the upper half of the viewer being formed by the upper half of the aforesaid V and the lower half of the viewer being formed from another generally rectangular piece of cardboard fastenable to the side walls of said frame by foldable tab portions on the opposite sides of said other piece of cardboard to define the tube form, said viewer being of tapered form, widening toward the mirror so as to permit the operator viewing the mirror to see substantially the full area thereof through the viewer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 988,784 Ingram Apr. 4, 1911 1,548,167 Peterson Aug. 4, 1925 2,522,938 Francis et al Sept. 19, 1950 

1. AN OPTICAL DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR MIRROR, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SUPPORT IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR FOR WRITING MATERIAL ON WHICH A PERSON MAY WRITE OR DRAW WHILE VIEWING THE WRITING MATERIAL IN THE MIRROR, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR VIEWER OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION AND APPROXIMATELY THE SAME WIDTH AS SAID MIRROR BUT ONLY A FRACTION OF ITS HEIGHT AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND ALIGNED THEREWITH AND MAINLY ABOVE THE SAME AND SPACED ABOVE THE SUPPORT AND FORWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE MIRROR AND INCLINED LONGITUDINALLY DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE UPPER PORTION OF THE MIRROR RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT SO THAT AN IMAGE OF THE WRITING MATERIAL IS VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR THROUGH THE VIEWER BY AN OPERATOR SITUATED WITH HIS HEAD IN VIEWING RELATIONSHIP TO THE VIEWER AND HELD AGAINST THE OUTER END THEREOF, AND A RIGID SUPPORTING FRAME CARRYING THE MIRROR, SUPPORT, AND VIEWER IN THE AFORESAID FIXED RELATIONSHIP. 